GUILTY OR - Mark Dribin, 42, Portland, 02 July 1999 *Christopher Charles Lovrien sentenced*

[LinasK]

The only thing that I know so far is that the hearing was held this afternoon. Will post more if I hear something:

 

[LinasK]

Ken called. So apparently this judge, a different one, allowed Lovrien to fire his paid attorney and he can have another public defender or represent himself. Much of the hearing was sealed. DA's are Kirsten Snowden and Margaret Burgess:

 

[LinasK]

Talked to Ken again just now and had a really good conversation. Learned quite a few tidbits about yesterday's hearing. Also Lovrien is scheduled at some point to have a 3rd trial on the illegal possession of the guns. He got mouthy and vulgar with the hearing judge who is female. Acted like he knew the law, spouted off about a "mistrial", accused the prosecution of holding back on Discovery, and the decision to remove both lawyers came from him- not either of them- he considered representing himself until the judge advised him against it, so now he's considering rehiring one of his previous Public Defenders. If that guy decides to do it, it'd be a good thing because he's familiar with the case, wouldn't take as long to start from scratch. Even the Prosecutor had to leave when the hearing got sealed (so we don't know what that's about). Ken will contact the detective again soon. Ken is now pissed at the games that Lovrien is playing, so he's now willing to take further action against Lovrien possibly in the form of a Civil Suit.

 

[LinasK]

How many times has this happened? They still have to show "good cause" and getting a new lawyer doesn't always translate to that. Judges are familiar with stall tactics as well. I could be wrong on all the above but please keep us posted

Anyone know if there's a limit to the number of times you can fire an attorney in Oregon? Seems like there ought to be because Lovrien is using it as a delay tactic to avoid prison. Jail is cushier for him.

 

[Lilibet]

Anyone know if there's a limit to the number of times you can fire an attorney in Oregon? Seems like there ought to be because Lovrien is using it as a delay tactic to avoid prison. Jail is cushier for him.

I googled and I don’t see anything specific, except that it’s up to the judge to decide if it’s being used as a delay tactic. I assume the prosecutor could have chat with the judge about it.

 

[LinasK]

Some news of interest, slight update: Ken called to give me info. As of yesterday, Lovrien got a new court appointed Public defender named Andy Simrin (sp?) The judge did warn him about multiple attorney firings, so if it happens again there's a possiblity that he's representing himself. Ken talked to the Cold Case Detective that he's been in contact with. Apparently he revealed that Portland doesn't have actual Public Defenders, they contract out to private attorneys. But it's not Calhoun, so this guy will have to get up to speed. The trial date hasn't changed yet. OJD still has it listed for this coming January. The Cold Case Detective has decided to retire, however, Portland will be getting a grant for cold cases and rehire him. And he thinks that jail is starting to affect Lovrien mentally. Yippee! That's probably why he acted like such a smart-*ss in front of this judge and mouthed off and was vulgar.

 

[LinasK]

• 09/13/2023 Order - Court Protective
  
  Judicial Officer
  Albrecht, Cheryl A.
  
  Comment
  Sealing FTR record
• 09/18/2023 Order - Substituting Attorney
  
  Judicial Officer
  Albrecht, Cheryl A.
• 01/19/2024 Hearing - Further Proceedings
  
  Judicial Officer
  Ramras, Christopher
  
  Hearing Time
  09:00 AM

 

[kaen]

I hope the new lawyer won't delay this too much longer. Strength to you and your family. When justice is this slow, it can be so frustrating.

 

[LinasK]

I just watched an interesting Dateline that has me thinking about a few things... It was another murder that occurred in Oregon in 2004. The case of Brooke Wilberger who was abducted, raped, and murdered from Corvalis, Oregon. Her killer was finally caught in New Mexico. He played similar games as Lovrien with firing attorneys, and even feigned mental incompetence to delay his trials (he also had charges in New Mexico for a similar attempt). Also, he tried to avoid serving his time in an Oregon prison, so they must be pretty bad...The bargaining chip for him to give up details of her crime and location of her body were that he got to serve a Life Sentence in a New Mexico prison rather than in Oregon.

 

[Lilibet]

I just watched an interesting Dateline that has me thinking about a few things... It was another murder that occurred in Oregon in 2004. The case of Brooke Wilberger who was abducted, raped, and murdered from Corvalis, Oregon. Her killer was finally caught in New Mexico. He played similar games as Lovrien with firing attorneys, and even feigned mental incompetence to delay his trials (he also had charges in New Mexico for a similar attempt). Also, he tried to avoid serving his time in an Oregon prison, so they must be pretty bad...The bargaining chip for him to give up details of her crime and location of her body were that he got to serve a Life Sentence in a New Mexico prison rather than in Oregon.

I can’t speak to how bad Oregon prisons are compared to New Mexico, but from what I understand Brooke Wilberger’s killer Joel Courtney will come back to Oregon, although this may have changed since this article…

Man Admits Killing BYU Student, Directs Police to Body 5 Years Later

Five years after college student Brooke Wilberger disappeared, a man arrested in her abduction pleaded guilty to murder and pointed police to the spot near the rugged Oregon coast where he had dumped her body.

www.foxnews.com

“As part of the plea deal, Courtney will be returned to New Mexico to serve the remainder of his 18-year sentence there before being returned to Oregon to serve the life sentence.”

I’m not sure why a life sentence vs the death penalty is a bargaining chip in Oregon, since no one has been executed here since 1997, there has been a moratorium on executions since 2011, and Gov. Kate Brown commuted the death sentences of all prisoners on death row in 2022 before she left office. I hope there is something the State can use to force Lovrien to reveal where Mark’s body is.

https://www.npr.org/2022/12/15/1143002545/oregon-death-sentence-governor-kate-brown

 

[DFWNF]

I just watched an interesting Dateline that has me thinking about a few things... It was another murder that occurred in Oregon in 2004. The case of Brooke Wilberger who was abducted, raped, and murdered from Corvalis, Oregon. Her killer was finally caught in New Mexico. He played similar games as Lovrien with firing attorneys, and even feigned mental incompetence to delay his trials (he also had charges in New Mexico for a similar attempt). Also, he tried to avoid serving his time in an Oregon prison, so they must be pretty bad...The bargaining chip for him to give up details of her crime and location of her body were that he got to serve a Life Sentence in a New Mexico prison rather than in Oregon.

Thinking of you and all of Mark's loved ones and friends LinasK. Oh I also think of Brooke often.

 

[LinasK]

Some new dates posted, don't know what they mean:

 

[Niner]

Friday, October 20th:
*Motions Hearing (Mark’s case) (@ 1:30pm PT) - OR – Mark Jeffrey Dribin (42) (last seen July 3, 1999, Portland, reported missing July 6, 1999; has not been found) - *Christopher Charles Lovrien (32 @ time of crime/52/now 56) indicted (4/30/20), arrested (5/4/20 by U.S. Marshalls), charged (5/4/20) & arraigned (5/5/20) with 2nd degree murder, 1st degree abuse of a corpse & 3 counts of being a felon in possession of firearms. Plead not guilty. No bond.
Forensic Genetic Genealogy match.
*OR – Kenneth Lee Griffin (53) (last seen Feb. 1, 2020 & reported missing on Feb. 2, 2020, Portland, found May 19, 2020 in Lovrien’s shed) - *Christopher Charles Lovrien (51 @ time of crime/52/now 56) charged (3/10/21), indicted (4/30/20), re-indicted (3/10/21) & arraigned (3/11/21) with 2nd degree murder, 1st degree abuse of a corpse & 6 counts of being a felon in possession of firearms. Plead not guilty. Held without bond.
Trial was set to begin on 7/31/23. Cases have been severed.
Dribin Trial set to begin on 1/29/24. Judge Christopher Ramras presiding. Dep. DA Kirsten M. Snowden & Margaret Burgess.
Griffin Trial set to begin on 4/8/24. Judge Christopher Ramras presiding. Dep. DA Kirsten M. Snowden & Margaret Burgess.
Dribin: Court info from 5/5/20 thru 8/31/23 & Griffin: Court info from 3/16/21 thru 8/31/23 reference post #680 here:
https://www.websleuths.com/forums/t...2-portland-02-july-1999-arrest.153627/page-34
9/11/23 Update: Dribin: Substitution of attorney hearing on 9/11/23 @ 4pm. Today's hearing was postponed to Wednesday, 9/13/23 @2:30pm due to "transportation issues". Further proceedings hearing (jury questionnaire) on 1/19/24 @ 9am. Griffen: Further proceedings hearing on 3/15/24 @ 9am re special jury panel summons-Trial 2 (counts 2-3) & trial (#2) set to begin on 4/8/24 @ 9am.
9/13/23 Update: Dribin: Substitution of attorney hearing held. Parties present: Dep. DA Margaret Burgess, Defendant Lovrie & court appointed defense attorney Rachel Philips & private retained attorney Ryan E. Scott. Judge Cheryl A. Albrecht presiding. Order-Substituting attorney-granted. Risks of self-rep. Order-Court protective-sealing FTR record.
9/13/23: Dribin: Order-Court Protective. Sealing FTR record. 9/18/23 Update: Order: Substituting attorney. Lovrien got a new court appointed Public defender named Andy Simrin (sp?) The judge did warn him about multiple attorney firings, so if it happens again there's a possibility that he's representing himself. Next further proceedings hearing (jury questionnaire) on 1/19/24 @ 9am.
10/9/23: Letter received by Judge Cheryl A. Albrecht on 10/3/23. Next motions hearing on 10/20/23 @ 1:30pm re defendant's Motion to Appoint co-counsel

 

[Niner]

@LinasK -anything happen at the motions hearing yesterday? TIA!

 

[LinasK]

Sorry, didn't get any updates yesterday, and I was a little under the weather from my Covid booster. Today is what the OJD website has posted. Ken was able to listen to the hearing. Ken said that Lovrien was objecting to the new attorney Simrin because he lacks experience in murder/death penalty cases, so he wanted his partner in addition who is a guy named Goody. A guy named White was also mentioned, but I didn't catch the context. The judge initially said "no", so Lovrien threatened to fire Simrin, and then the judge agreed to allow him to have a 2nd attorney- but he isn't listed on the OJD proceedings. This is his 7th attorney. It's obvious to a lay person that it's an endless delay tactic for him. Ken is livid and may contact both the prosecutors and the judge regarding this matter.

 

[Niner]

So @LinasK - next is further proceedings re jury questionnaire on 1/19/24 @ 9am? still? Or do you know if they are going to put in another hearing before than?

TIA!

 

[LinasK]

So @LinasK - next is further proceedings re jury questionnaire on 1/19/24 @ 9am? still? Or do you know if they are going to put in another hearing before than?

TIA!

That's all the information I have at the moment. Ken suggested that I check the OJD website next week to see if they list another attorney. He'll contact the detective on the case, who has been his best source of information.

 

[Niner]

That's all the information I have at the moment. Ken suggested that I check the OJD website next week to see if they list another attorney. He'll contact the detective on the case, who has been his best source of information.

Thanks! I shall keep him under 10/20 until I hear from you again.

 

[LinasK]

2nd attorney is now listed: Keith Goody. No other hearings posted yet...

 

[LinasK]

New notation. Don't know what "election" means: